Cushion for game-tables.



No..694,463. v Patented Mar. 4, I902.

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cusmou FUR GAME TABLES.

(Application filed Many 4. 1901.)

(No Mod'al.)

PATENT. OFFICE.

RICHARD F. DOWNEY, or MENOMINEE,

MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE AUTO- MATIO PORTABLE BOWLING ALLEY COMPANY, OF MENOMINEE, MICHIGAN.

CUSHION FOR GAME-TABLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 694,463, dated March 4, 1902.

Application filed May 4, 1901.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD F. DOWNEY,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Menominee, in the county of Menominee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cushions for Game-Tables; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention has especial reference to the elastic cushions secured to the side and end rails of tables used in playing billiards, pool, and similar games; and it consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts, as will be fully set forth hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a partlysectional perspective view illustrating the construction and attachment of my improved cushions. Fig. 2 is a detail view illustrating the connection between the side and end cushions, drawn to a reduced scale.

Referring to the drawings, a represents the top of a billiard or similar table, and b one of the upward-projectin g rails thereof, said rails being formed with a longitudinal'semicircular recess 0 along the inner faces thereof, com,- mnnicating with a longitudinal groove 01. The cushions for each table are preferably four in number-two long ones for the sides and two short ones for the endseach cushion comprising a soft-rubber tube 6, sealed at each end, the abutting corners of the side and end cushions being connected by a properlybent metallic tube f, as indicated in Fig. 2, whereby there is free internal communication between all the tubes 6. These tubes are strengthened by exterior tubes or wrappings of stout fabric g, and the exposed surfaces of the latter are in turn covered by longitudinal strips'h of felt or billiard-table cloth or other suitable material secured in place as shown in Fig. 1, the lower edges of said strips being placed ashort distance within the semicircular recess 0 and secured in place, as by tacks i, at proper intervals, the upper edges of said strips it being then brought around a continuous strip of wire j and stitched to make a folded edge and the same inserted within the described groove d, which can very Seri l N 58 ,698. (No model.)

easily be done, as it will be understood that the tubes e are not inflated while this is being done. At any preferred point one of the rails 12 is cut away, as shown at k, on the outer side, and a horizontal perforation Z bored through to communicate with the described semicircular recess 0 for the insertion of a suitable inflating-valve m, whose inner end is properly secured to the adjacent inner tube. 6 in the same manner that similar valves are united to the inner tubes of bicycle-tires. By this construction when the parts are all assembled as hereinbefore described and an air-pump applied to the said valve m the entire series of cushions can be quickly and uniformly inflated from this one point, the described corner-tubes f affordin g the necessary intercom munication between the several separate cushions, as already stated, and by means of this inflation the cushions are securely held within the described semicircular recesses.

The groove d is made of greater width than that of the upper rolled wire-stiffened edge of the strips It, so as to accommodate inflatable tubes of d-ifierent diameters, as well as to provide for different degrees of expansion of the tubes e under inflation. Consequently when inflatable tubes of smaller diameter than those indicated in Fig. l are employed the upper rolled wire-stiffened edge of the fabric it instead of bearing against the upper end wall of the said groove d, as shown in said Fig. 1, will be lower down toward or against the lower end wall of said groove, and hence no matter what the size of the inflatable tubes may be when the same are inflated the fabric 72 will always be securely held taut by the said rolled upper edge Without any change in the construction of the device or in the point of attachment of the other edge of the fabric. It is very important that the described groove (1 should be formed in the rail in direct communication with the concave longitudinal recess c and above the central horizontal plane of the latter in order to obtain the necessary access to the said recess in removing or placing the inflatable tube without disturbing the attachment of the fixed edge of the fabric and to enable the rolled edge to be placed in position within the groove (1 before inflation,

as it would be diflicult, if not impossible, to do all this were the said groove d below instead of above the concave recess. By reason of the described construction both edges of the fabric which covers the tubes is concealed and held within the described recesses by the simple inflation of said tubes, and if any tube becomes injured or worn out it can quickly be removed on its deflation by pulling the upper edge of the fabric h out of the groove (1 and recess 0 without any necessity of removing the tacks or other fastenings ii of the fabric from the rail, and the new'tube can be quickly inserted to place, the sealed ends of the old tube e being pulled away from the ends of the metallic tubes f and the latter inserted in the ends of the new rubber tubes 6 and then the upper edge of the fabric h reinserted in the groove (1 and the tubes 6 inflated. Thus the fabric h is not subjected to any injury, such as would be consequent upon the withdrawal and reinsertion of the tacks or other fastening devices i, and, furthermore, the inner surface of the rails above and below the projecting tubes (2 is always exposed and the continuity thereof uninterrupted.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is r 1. In a game-table, the combination with the upward projecting side and end rails having longitudinal recesses, and communicating longitudinal grooves, formed in the inner faces thereof, of protected inflatable tubes located in said recesses; a valve communicating with said tubes for inflating the same; and strips of suitable material secured at one edge within said recesses and having the opposite edge rolled around a wire, and

inserted within the said groove, the said communicatin g grooves being located above the central horizontal plane of the said recesses, and being of greater width than the diameter of the said rolled edge of the fabric, whereby the said inflatable tubes are covered by said strips and held in place when the tubes are inflated, and whereby inflatable tubes of different diameters may be thus securely held in place without change in the construction of the recesses or grooves or in the point of attachment of the fixed edge of the fabric.

2. In a game-table, a series of upwardprojecting side and end rails, each rail having a rounded concave central longitudinal recess in the inner face thereof, and a communicating longitudinal groove or extension of said recess formed in the rail back of the inner face of the said rail and above the central horizontal plane of said longitudinal recess, in combination with inflatable tubes located partly in and projecting from said rev cesses, and strips of suitable fabric secured at their lower edges within said recesses, and carried up around said tubes, the upper edges of said strips being stiffened and inserted within the said communicating grooves, whereby said tubes, when inflated, will be held to place within the said recesses, and the inner surfaces of said rails above and below said projecting tubes, be exposed and their continuity uninterrupted.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, in the presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD F. DOWNEY.

Witnesses:

H. G. UNDERWOOD, B. G. RoLoFF. 

